Solace
by CK Aniston
Summary: Mini-sequel to Nostalgia. Written for the Seeking Solace challenge at cabensonfanficchallenge. tumblr. com


******DISCLAIME**R - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and all characters are property of NBC and Dick Wolf.

* * *

**-November 2000-**

It was their fifth coffee date since October. Two dinners and a movie night made eight 'dates,' if one could call them that. Alex and Olivia both had agreed to take things slow this time. Ten years ago, when they were both naïve college kids, they had rushed into a fantastic, whirlwind romance. But now, in their early thirties, it was time to be a little more cautious and a little more responsible. Neither could handle feeling heartbreak like that again.

It was that morning during a lull when the detective and the attorney found themselves at a quaint breakfast spot downtown by the courthouse. It was that morning when Alex's life would change irrevocably.

Olivia got the call at a quarter past ten. A little girl, Carly Jackson they would soon be told was her name, was shot and killed. The case seemed pretty open-and-shut, but when Alex found out that Elias, the shooter, was a seven year old student, the black and white blurred into a mess of grey.

The Chief ADA was adamant that Alex prosecute Elias, and against her better judgment, she knew she had no choice. Ever since coming to SVU, Alex didn't have a problem with the gruesome and violent nature of the cases. But this one just didn't make sense. How could she prosecute a seven year old boy? How could she stand up, speak for the people, and convince a jury that Elias had malice in his heart?

Alex did everything she could to find a loophole, to get justice for Carly, while still protecting Elias. But at the end of the day, she went with what she knew was right and let Elias off for Carly's murder. What else could she have done? She had done all she could.

Everyone at the station praised her for a job well done, and her boss even let her have Sunday off. It seemed like the best possible decision was made. As the attorney and detectives were on their way out of the precinct for a celebratory drink, they got the phone call that would change everything.

Elias has been shot by a young boy who was angry with the verdict. This boy, old enough to know right from wrong, definitely had malice in his heart. He was not sorry, and he was not scared. Alex's knees buckled when Olivia told her what had happened.

_If I had just charged Elias_, she thought, _he never would have been killed. This is all my fault. This is all my fault. This is all my fault._

Alex grabbed Olivia's shoulders to keep from falling to the ground, and Olivia immediately grabbed her waist to support her. She ran her fingers through Alex's soft blonde hair as the attorney cried, for the first time, in front of the squad.

"Baby, let me drive you home, okay?"

"Will you stay with me?" Alex whispered through tears.

"Of course I will. I have to stop by the scene with Elliot and then I'll stay as long as you need me to. Is that okay?" Olivia asked while wiping the tears from Alex's blotchy cheeks.

Alex just nodded, and Olivia shot a look at Elliot that he knew full well. He nodded at her as well, acknowledging that he would see his partner soon.

When Olivia finally returned from the scene two hours later, she opened the door with the spare key Alex had given her. The apartment was completely dark except for a small candle lit on the coffee table. Olivia could just make out Alex's sparkling blue eyes in the candlelight. But they weren't sparkling their normal bright blue; instead, they were glistening with fresh tears. Olivia took off her coat, boots, belt, and gun and sank down onto the couch with a strong arm wrapping Alex in a hug.

They sat like this for twenty minutes, until Olivia finally heard no more sniffling. She looked down at the blonde in her arms and placed a soft kiss on pink lips. Alex kissed back, hard, and soon mouths were dueling for entrance. Both granted permission, and the searing kiss lingered into a slow, passionate fusion of lips and tongues.

"I love you, Olivia Benson. I'll love you forever."

"I love you more, Alexandra."

"Thank you for being here."

"I won't ever leave you. Bad things can happen, but I'll always be here."

After years of emotional isolation, both women had finally found the solace they so desperately needed. Tonight, it was Alex who needed comforting, but Olivia really felt it was she who had been saved.

They slept on the couch that night, a tangle of arms and legs and blankets. When the morning sun finally rose and lit the room a pale orange, they woke up to a new day. Together.

**La Fin**


End file.
